Roller skate attachment



July 23, 1940. w n- 2,208,888

ROLLER SKATE ATTACHMENT Filed Nov. 29, 1939 gum: Y

Patented July 23, 1940' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I 2,208,888 ROLLER sm'ra ATTACHMENT 8 mm. A. Jenkins, is. Application November 29, 1959, Serial No. 306,727

8 Claims.

This invention relates to roller skates and more particularly to a .traction attachment to permit the skates to be used for walking purposes. i

5 The object of the invention is to provide a roller skate having a traction device pivotally mounted on the axle thereof and normally supported in elevated position to permit skating in the usual manner, said device, when moved to lowered position, presenting a yieldable traction surface for contact with the ground or other surface so as to permit the skater to walk up and down steps or over polished floors and the like without danger of slipping or scratching or otherwise marringsaid floors.

A'further object of the invention is to provide means for locking the traction device in both raised and loweredpositions and means for securing the yieldable pad within the pivoted holder of the traction device.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve this class of devices so as to increase their utility, durability and efllciency.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in which similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a roller skate provided with my improved traction attachment and showing said traction device in lowered position to permit walking on polished floors and the like,

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2 and showing the traction devices in elevated position to permit the skate to be used in the usual manner,

Figure 4 is a perspective view, partly in section, of the yleldable pad holder and its associated parts, and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the pad holders detached.

The improved traction device forming the subject-matter of the present invention may be used in connection with any type of roller skate, and

by way of illustration is shown in position on a roller skate of standard construction, in which 5 designates the extensible body portion and 6 the rollers mounted for rotation on axles I carried by brackets 8 provided with fixed axle housings, indicated at 9.

The device comprises a pad receiving holder in preferably stamped from a single sheet of metal and including a top plate ll having in- 56 tegral upstanding ears l2 provided with openings l3 for the reception of the axle land on which the holder is' pivotally mounted for swinging movement. The top plate ll of the holder is provided with spaced depending side flanges I4 adapted to receive between them a traction pad 5 l5 formed of rubber, leather or other yieldable material and which pad is adapted to contact with the floor when the holder is swung downwardly to lowered posltionso as to elevate the rollers 6 above the surface of the floor and to 10 permit the skater to walk up and down steps or over highly polished floors without danger of slipping or marring the polished surface of the floor. The side flanges H of the holder are formed with substantially V-shaped incisions l6 and the metal between said incisions is bent inwardly to form spurs l6 adapted to bite into the pad l5 and prevent accidental displacement of said pad. The upper wall ll of the pivoted pad holderis provided with spaced parallel incisions 20 H defining an intermediate resilient locking .tongue l8 terminating in a laterally disposed finger-piece l9, the end of the finger-piece l9 being preferablyformed by making an angular opening 2 in the adjacent side flange l4 and 25 pressing the metal at said recess upwardly, as best shown in Figure 5 of the drawing. The free end of the finger-piece I9 projects laterally beyond the outer face of the adjacent flange It so as to permit said finger-piece to be readily grasped 30 and extending vertically from the finger-piece near the rear end thereof is a locking lug 2| adapted to selectively enter locking recesses 22 and 23 formed in the axle housing 9 thereby to permit the traction device to be locked in either 5 raised or lowered position.

When using the skate in the ordinary manner, the finger-piece I9 is depressed thereby releasing the locking lug 20 from the lower recess 23 and the holder swung upwardly until the locking 40 lug 20 is opposite the upper recess 22 when the inherent resiliency of the tongue I 8 will cause the lug 2| to enter the recess 22 and hold the traction device in elevated position with the wheels '6 of the skate in contact with the floor, as 45 which operation elevates the rollers 6 so as to permit the skater to walk in the usual manner without danger of slipping or falling or without liability of marring the polished surface of the floor. Such a device is very desirable as it often happens that a skater will put on his orher skates-in the house andhave to walk up or down a flight of steps before reaching the street or entering a skating rink and the yieldable pads of the attachment will provide a traction surface for the skater so that said skater may walk in the usual manner without danger of slipping or falling.

It will, of course, be understood that the attachments may be made in different sizes and shapes and constructed of any suitable material without departing from the spir t of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. The combination with a skate including an axle and rollers, of a traction device pivotally mounted on the axle and movable to raised and lowered positions, and means for locking said traction device in either position.

2. The combination with a skate including an axle and rollers, of a holder pivotally mounted on the axle and movable to raised and lowered positions, a traction pad carried by the holder, and means for locking said holder in either raised or lowered position.

3. The combination with a roller skate including an axle and an axle housing having spaced locking recesses formed therein, of a traction device pivotally mounted on the axle and movable to raised and lowered positions, and a spring catch forming a part of the traction device and adapted to selectively engage said locking recesses for holding the traction device in either raised or lowered position. i

4. The combination with a roller skate including an axle and an. axle housing having spaced locking recesses formed therein, of a holder pivotally mounted on the axle and movable to raised and lowered positions, said holder being formed with spaced depending flanges, a traction pad fitted between said flanges, and a spring tongue carried by the holder and provided with an upstanding locking lug adapted to enter said recesses for holding the holder in either raised or lowered position.

5. The combination with a roller skate including an axle and an axle housing having spaced locking recesses formed therein, of a holder having spaced upstanding perforated ears pivotally mounted on the axle and movable to raised and lowered positions, a spring latch mounted on the holder and provided with a laterally extending finger-piece, and a locking lug carried by the finger-piece and adapted to selec tively enter said locking recesess for holding the holder in either raised or lowered position.

6. The combination with a roller skate including an axle and an axle housing having spacedlocking recesses formed therein, of a holder having upstanding perforated ears pivotally mounted on the axle and provided with depending side flanges, said holder being movable to raised and lowered positions, said holder having its upper wall between said ears provided with spaced incisions defining a resilient tongue terminating in a laterally extending finger-piece, said side flanges ing provided with spaced inwardly extending locking spurs, a yieldable pad fitted between said flanges and engageable by said locking spurs, and a locking lug carried by the finger-piece and adapted to selectively enter said locking recesses for holding the holder in raised or lowered position.

'7. The combination with a roller skate including an axle and an axle housing having spaced locking recesses -formed therein, of a traction device pivotally mounted on the axle and movable to raised and lowered positions, said holder being formed of a single sheet of metal bentto form upstanding perforated suspension ears and depending retaining flanges, the metal at the top of the holder and at one of said flanges being provided with spaced incisions and the metal between the incisions bent upwardly to form a resilient catch terminating in a laterally extending finger-piece, and a lug extending upwardly vfrom the finger-piece and adapted to selectively enter the recesses in the axle housing for locking the holder in either a raised or lowered position.

8. The combination with a roller skate including an axle and an axle housing, of a traction device pivotally mounted on the axle and provided with a pad movable downwardly into engagement with a supporting surface for elevating the rollers above said supporting surface and movable upwardly to inoperative position to permit the rollers to contact said supporting surface, and means for locking the traction device in both raised and lowered positions.

CLARENCE A. W'HITED. 

